Thursday, 30 January 2014

Smoke & Haircut: Will the Real marketer please stand up?

Get me spikes, but not too short haa! Keep it short on the
sides, a bit long at the centre. And he exclaims, “I know sir, you have been
getting the same cut for the last 3 years now”. I didn’t realize he was the
same guy as I kept changing my barber. Most of the time it was my mouth fagging
that kept me at bay from actually recognizing the guy.

Okay, now this isn't about my journey to become a chain
smoker, nor it is about my personal shit. By this story, I intend to put some “roshni” (Light)
on power of context (with whatever i have gained) and how Smoke makers (cigarette
manufacturers) can help people in collecting some more “tar” (Tar) in their profoundly abused lungs. Is that guy from no-smoking
film, Suresh, alive?

It usually is a Saturday or a Sunday when the barber shops
are full and you have no option but to wait for your favourite guy/girl to get
your cut done. Waiting leads them to a nearby “Paan ki tapri” (Cigarette shop) .

Some of you might agree or must have started introspecting
at least. Go on! It does happen.

This is where the context starts to build and that’s where
Marketing team of ITC or Wills shall put their heads.

At the behest of this urge, smokers wouldn’t mind trying a
new brand (till he/she is brand stuck). The mental state is such that they are
receptive and would not mind giving your time even to that too-much-shit,
less-content sort of salesman.

Arnab Goswami exposing A Raja in one screen and “Pappu”
talking about corruption free India wouldn’t go down well with the viewers.
Even the strongest of the messages would go down swinging, if the context is
not set right. That’s the periphery where the stuff happens.